crazybilly writes: First Monday recently released a study about how college students actually use Wikipedia. Not surprisingly, they found, "Overall, college students use Wikipedia. But, they do so knowing its limitation. They use Wikipedia just as most of us do — because it is a quick way to get started and it has some, but not deep, credibility." The study offers some initial data to help settle the often heated controversy over Wikipedia's usefulness as a research tool and how it affects students research.

Of course Wikipedia is going to be the first port of call for students exploring an unfamiliar area. Stands to reason. Years ago it used to be the erroneously named Encyclopedia Britannica (British by name, American by nature).